Negative Effects Of Ocean Pollution On Ocean Health

The increasing human population is having negative effects on ocean health. While populations increase, ocean pollution increases as well. This effects not only ocean health negatively, but human health in turn as well. The more people there are, the more trash is ending up in our oceans. Much of the trash that ends up in the oceans comes from ships and beaches. Plastic bags, glass bottles, and tin cans are few of the things that enter our ocean; and may take up to centuries to degrade. Not only do the chemicals in these plastics leak into the water, but they also harm ocean life upfront as well. Many animals either consume or get entangled in the trash floating in the water. In fact, plastic alone kills 100,000 sea turtles and birds per year ("Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health"). The plastic also releases toxins that harms the health of fish as well. It is also statistically proven that while population rises, ocean health decreases. In the 20th century, human population drastically increased from 1.5 billion to 6 billion. By the end of the century, countless

In order to produce high amounts of successful crop, farmers began to use higher amounts of stronger chemicals. As was expected, the chemicals wound up in rivers that flow into bays and thus the ocean. It was these toxins that produced algae blooms that cut off oxygen and choked the animals beneath the water. One of the most significant examples of where this has happened is in our very own Chesapeake Bay. Once teeming with oysters, it has now been reduced to 1% of its original population ("Overpopulation and the Ocean." Californians For Population Stabilization). Lack of filter feeders fished by humans in response to high demands has led to buildup of algae both naturally and artificially (toxins). Without filter feeders, the algae is allowed to build up and cut off